crawl space foundation

[littlebird]

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed today.

DH and I have found a great house in really nice shape to move to our acerage. I finally found a mover who is willing to move it, and now the next can of worms has been opened. What kind of foundation?

We thought we could get by with a slab on grade foundation, but this mover says that it's very risky to move a house onto slab on grade and that he reccommends at the very least a crawl space foundation.

Obviously we are trying to get by as cheap as possible, but we want something we can live in comfortably for a while. This particular house that we've found is so nice that it could be our forever house. So we want to do it right, but we don't have a whole lot of extra money. (who does?)

My question is, what is a crawlspace, really? I've been tooling around on the net for a while, and they all look like a stem wall sunk into the ground on a wider footing. The interior floor is graded and dirt and earth is banked up around the exterior. Is this correct? Or do they usually have a concrete floor as well. I've only seen one crawlspace in my life, and it had a poured floor. ($$$)

Anyone with a crawl space have any testimonials/regrets? So far the main thing I've gleaned is that MOLD is a huge issue.

Basically I'm looking for some info so that when I start calling excavators I don't sound like an idiot. DH is at work all day so I have to call all these trades guys. They've all been super nice, but I feel like they have to hold my hand through everything. I'm getting used to asking dumb questions though.

And also, it's just one of those days where there's just too much stuff I need to know and I'm having a hard time keeping it all straight.

Thanks everyone.

[CGUARDSMAN]

my house sits over a 6' deep crawl space built with concrete block the base(floor) is gravel covered with heavy mil plastic. have not had any issues with it. it stays dry and gives me access to the furnace and all the plumbing.

[Cabin Fever]

When you address Little Bird's question, you might want to remember that she lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchwan.

[Ramblin Wreck]

Originally Posted by Cabin Fever

When you address Little Bird's question, you might want to remember that she lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchwan.

Yep. In Dallas, Georgia, my crawl space works fine. If I lived that far North, I would find the money to excavate and form/pour walls for a "Northern Basement". I have an old farmstead in New Brunswick that has a hand dug/rock walled foundation. That would be a lot of work, but it could be done cheaply.

Best wishes.

[wy_white_wolf]

Originally Posted by littlebird

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed today.

DH and I have found a great house in really nice shape to move to our acerage. I finally found a mover who is willing to move it, and now the next can of worms has been opened. What kind of foundation?

We thought we could get by with a slab on grade foundation, but this mover says that it's very risky to move a house onto slab on grade and that he reccommends at the very least a crawl space foundation.

Obviously we are trying to get by as cheap as possible, but we want something we can live in comfortably for a while. This particular house that we've found is so nice that it could be our forever house. So we want to do it right, but we don't have a whole lot of extra money. (who does?)

My question is, what is a crawlspace, really? I've been tooling around on the net for a while, and they all look like a stem wall sunk into the ground on a wider footing. The interior floor is graded and dirt and earth is banked up around the exterior. Is this correct? Or do they usually have a concrete floor as well. I've only seen one crawlspace in my life, and it had a poured floor. ($$$)

Anyone with a crawl space have any testimonials/regrets? So far the main thing I've gleaned is that MOLD is a huge issue.

Basically I'm looking for some info so that when I start calling excavators I don't sound like an idiot. DH is at work all day so I have to call all these trades guys. They've all been super nice, but I feel like they have to hold my hand through everything. I'm getting used to asking dumb questions though.

And also, it's just one of those days where there's just too much stuff I need to know and I'm having a hard time keeping it all straight.

Thanks everyone.

What type of foundation does the house sit on now?

That's the type you want to put it back on since that is what it is designed for.

[littlebird]

Yes, thanks, Cabin Fever. I live in zone 2a (or 2b if you're an optimist).

I know people around here have crawlspaces, but I just haven't looked in any of them. It is *very* dry here throughout the year, but in winter especially, and it will stay at -20F for about three weeks in Jan.

I hadn't seen any with gravel on the floor in my one hour's worth of research, but it crossed my mind. Gravel sounds like a good idea to me, to keep things a little drier. CGUARDSMAN, how deep is the gravel layer in your crawlspace?

Thanks for the help!

LB

[CGUARDSMAN]

Originally Posted by littlebird

Yes, thanks, Cabin Fever. I live in zone 2a (or 2b if you're an optimist).

I know people around here have crawlspaces, but I just haven't looked in any of them. It is *very* dry here throughout the year, but in winter especially, and it will stay at -20F for about three weeks in Jan.

I hadn't seen any with gravel on the floor in my one hour's worth of research, but it crossed my mind. Gravel sounds like a good idea to me, to keep things a little drier. CGUARDSMAN, how deep is the gravel layer in your crawlspace?

Thanks for the help!

LB

we have a 4" base of 2" gravel there is a sump pump but it is mainly for our central air condensation since our furnace is in the crawl space.

[littlebird]

Thanks, wy_white_wolf. What a commonsense question!

It sits on a poured full sized basement right now. It's a city house, and they all have basements.

I suppose the closest thing would be a poured crawlspace with a heavy vapour barrier on the floors to protect against moisture. And ventilation. A full sized basement would be natrually ventilated, as air flows freely through the whole house, wouldn't it?

We don't really want or need a full basement, but access to plumbing would be great. Now that I think of using a slab on grade with the plumbing running through it, I get the shivers.

[Sand Flat Bob]

Originally Posted by littlebird

Thanks, wy_white_wolf. What a commonsense question!

It sits on a poured full sized basement right now. It's a city house, and they all have basements.

I suppose the closest thing would be a poured crawlspace with a heavy vapour barrier on the floors to protect against moisture. And ventilation. A full sized basement would be natrually ventilated, as air flows freely through the whole house, wouldn't it?

We don't really want or need a full basement, but access to plumbing would be great. Now that I think of using a slab on grade with the plumbing running through it, I get the shivers.

You have frost depth issues that you need an expert to address. Are there any local building or SK building codes? That is where I would start, and all so look to your local university on building codes. Building foundations in Canada is very different than in the lower USA. I have a friend that built many structures in Alaska and he attended construction courses call "Cold Weather Engineering" . I was building similar structures in the Southern USA and it is different from Florida to Alaska. If you build the wrong foundation, it could be very expensive to correct. Spend some $ to get the advice of an expert.

Good Luck,

Bob

[agmantoo]

Are there any doublewide mobile homes in your area? A support system similar to that is what you need to carry the moved house. How you enclose the area around the perimeter of the house in your area I am not qualified to answer. I moved this house and set it on a crawl space. Previously it had a basement. I am willing to share any info you may be able to use as far as methods and expenses associated.

[The Paw]

Originally Posted by littlebird

Thanks, wy_white_wolf. What a commonsense question!

It sits on a poured full sized basement right now. It's a city house, and they all have basements.

I suppose the closest thing would be a poured crawlspace with a heavy vapour barrier on the floors to protect against moisture. And ventilation. A full sized basement would be natrually ventilated, as air flows freely through the whole house, wouldn't it?

We don't really want or need a full basement, but access to plumbing would be great. Now that I think of using a slab on grade with the plumbing running through it, I get the shivers.

Saskatchewan is like Manitoba (where I live). You are going to have to put the footings down at least 4 feet to get below the frost line. Since you have to get the backhoe there anyway, I think it really would not be that much more cost to go for a full basement.

I know you say you don't need it, but a full basement will have less moisture issues, gives you additional storage, and adds to resale value. Given that the house was designed for a full basement, you also need to ask yourself where your furnace and hot water heater are going to go...
were they already on the main floor?

[Maura]

We have a shallow frost free foundation. It is a new idea and ours was the first in our county (and the inspector almost didn't pass it because he'd never heard of it). You will end up with a slab. Our first floor is the garage and two work rooms, with the home above. Otherwise, I would not want to have a concrete floor, very hard on the legs.

You should not have mold with any new foundation you put in, if it is done right.

[Windy in Kansas]

I agree that if you are going to have to put in 48 inch frost protection for the foundation you might as well add another 48 or more and put in a basement. The floor could be added later if you will have windows to bring the concrete mix through.

I am of the belief that one can't just consider what they want but must also consider resale value upon death, moving, etc. You'll easily gain the basement cost back then in my opinion.